Franchise Notes

Source says Gaglardi being used as a stalking horse to get higher bids

FORBES' Mike Ozanian cited a source as saying that Tom Gaglardi "has offered to buy the NHL’s Dallas Stars and 50% of American Airlines Center from the bankers who took over the team from Tom Hicks for $100 million of assumed debt." The $100M "could go to $135 million under certain conditions that were not specified." The source said that the "plan is to use Gaglardi as a stalking horse to get higher bids and he would get a fee should he not get the team" (FORBES.com, 4/29). However, in Dallas, Mike Heika cites sources as saying that the Forbes report is "not true." While "some of the numbers are accurate, they are incomplete and don't include a lot of the debt that Gaglardi will have to assume in purchasing the team, as well as real money that will be a part of Gaglardi's offer" (DALLASNEWS.com, 4/29).

AHEAD OF THE CURVE: In K.C., Adam Teicher noted the NFL's "muddled labor situation doesn’t appear to be hurting the Chiefs from a business standpoint, at least as much as other clubs." Chiefs Chair Clark Hunt said that the team leads the NFL in new ticket sales. Hunt: "It’s not by a small margin. It’s a very substantial number. So I think our fans feel very good about the direction the football team is headed." He added, "We’ve had a lot of success selling new season tickets but maybe we would have sold more had this uncertainty not been going on. I do believe it’s affecting the business and I think the longer it goes on, the more effect it will have” (K.C. STAR, 4/30).

FAMILY MATTERS: In Indianapolis, Mike Chappell notes Bill Polian, 68, "hasn't addressed how much longer he'll handle a prominent role with the Colts," but he is "closer to the end of his career than the beginning." Team Owner Jim Irsay in late February "altered Bill Polian's title" from President to Vice Chair. Irsay emphasized that the idea was to increase VP & GM Chris Polian's responsibilities, along with those of Dir of Player Personnel Tom Telesco, and "decrease Bill Polian's workload, however slightly." The adjustment "would allow Bill Polian to spend less time at the team headquarters and more at his home in Charlotte" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 5/2).

NO NEWS GOOD NEWS? In N.Y., Marc Berman reported the deadline for Knicks Owner James Dolan to exercise the option on President of Basketball Operations Donnie Walsh's final contractual year passed Saturday "without a move, meaning the Knicks president likely is in store for a spanking-new contract extension instead, likely two years." Walsh's "only concern was regaining control as No. 1 decision-maker of basketball operations, believing too many voices were in Dolan's ear, even outside the organization." Beyond Isiah Thomas' "informal conversations with the owner, celebrity superfan Spike Lee also had Dolan's ear and lobbied hard" for the Knicks to keep G Landry Fields out of the trade for F Carmelo Anthony (N.Y. POST, 5/1).